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‍June '26, Issue 1

‍Dear Visitor,

Summer has finally arrived in the UK, and with temperatures reaching 30°C and beyond, it’s time to adapt.

What we eat and drink needs to shift with the heat so that we can better support the body and respond to the rising temperatures outside. Because what happens in our body is also influenced by our environment. 

But what I see happening most often is that people continue eating the same foods and drinking the same things as if the season had not changed. For example, foods that are heavy and harder to digest such as pizza and pasta, or cold, raw and uncooked meals like salads. 

And when you’re grieving while trying to navigate this heat, your body is dealing with two pressures all at once.

‍Here’s what happens:

Heat forces the body to work harder to cool you down. Blood gets pulled towards the skin to help regulate temperature, which can weaken digestion further at a time when grief has already compromised it.

What often follows is a confusing mix of symptoms.

What starts as seeking comfort in cooling foods can quickly turn into digestive chaos. You reach for that cold yoghurt or iced milk shake thinking it will help, but instead you’re left feeling heavy, bloated, and somehow worse than before.

Your appetite can swing wildly too. Sometimes it disappears completely. Other times it leads you towards foods that leave you feeling more irritable, sluggish or depleted afterwards.

When you’re grieving, your digestive system is already not functioning at its best. Add summer heat to the mix, and it can feel like trying to tend a campfire in a windstorm.

‍You may notice:

• diarrhea or loose stools (which dehydrate you further)
• irritability or anger that seems to come from nowhere
• burning sensations such as acid reflux
• cravings for ice-cold drinks
• more signs of dryness in the body, including constipation
• ncreased fatigue, dizziness or brain fog

I spent years eating cold salads or yoghurt with strawberries in the summer, believing I did something good for my body. It wasn't until I understood how digestion actually works in summer heat that my digestive troubles started to make sense.

If you've been wondering why your digestion feels so off in the heat, or why you're suddenly feeling more irritable, depleted or overwhelmed than usual, I explain what's going on in this blog:

‍Eat warm, moistening foods

I know this sounds counterintuitive when it’s 30°C and beyond.

But when digestion is already weakened, cold and raw foods can ask more of the system rather than support it. Warm, well-cooked foods with moisture are generally easier to digest, and can help reduce common issues like gas, bloating, constipation, acid reflux, and other summer ailments.

To show you how easy it is to support your digestion in summer, I’m running another Lottery-funded cooking workshop for people on low incomes this coming Friday, from 5-6pm (BST). We’ll make a nourishing lentil and vegetable bowl together, and I’ll show you how to adapt the basic recipe so it feels more suitable for warmer weather.

It’s the kind of meal you can make with leftover vegetables, with very little effort, energy, or time.

‍What you eat and drink matters all year round. But during grief and extreme heat, it matters even more.

Your body is already carrying enough. It’s best not to add to that burden with ice-cold drinks, dehydration or overhydration, irregular meals, or foods that your system struggles to process.

I’ll be sharing more this week on hydration, electrolytes and magnesium, and why they matter so much right now.

In the meantime, try to notice how your body responds to certain foods and drinks.

And if you’d like my personal support, you can book a free 30-minute call here to talk through what’s going on for you, and how we can work together using nutrition and lifestyle changes tailored to your individual needs.

Take care and stay cool,

Sabine

‍Sabine Horner
77 Millfield Lane
York YO10 3AW
United Kingdom

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